Maria Rodriguez murder: Accused killer given $1 million bond
HOUSTON - The man who allegedly murdered Maria Rodriguez in 2018 appeared in court Tuesday and received bond.
Erik Arceneaux, 51, was given a $1 million bond after being charged with the murder of Rodriguez and dismembering her body with a chainsaw.
According to authorities, Arceneaux was on the run for five years but was arrested on Sept. 14 outside a southeast Houston business.
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Police say Arceneaux claimed he and Rodriguez were a couple, but those close to Maria told FOX 26 he was a gym trainer who developed an obsession and began stalking her.
Rodriguez, who was 29 at the time, was last seen on June 21, 2018, after she left her daughter with the babysitter before heading to work.
According to investigators, her co-workers said they received unusual text messages from her saying she would arrive late to work, but said it didn't sound like the text messages were coming from Rodriguez.
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Her sister, Gloria Jimenez, reported her missing after she didn't show up for work or show up to go pick her daughter up from the babysitter's home.
Cell phone records showed Arceneaux and Rodriguez's phones were together at his house the day she disappeared and later the same day, Arceneaux was seen leaving a Home Depot in northwest Houston with a chainsaw and trash bags, court records state.
Surveillance video also showed him walking away from Rodriguez's truck after abandoning it in the 100 block of Port Street.
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According to police, cell phone data shows Arceneaux also had Jimenez-Rodriguez's phone on him.
Authorities searched the suspect's home in the 5000 block of Evella Street and found drops of blood on the wall, however, they were unable to determine if it was the victim's.
If Arceneaux makes bond, conditions of his release include 24-hour house arrest and GPS monitoring.